Venus Goes Retrograde is the planetary headline event for October and November.

Venus, the planet of love, beauty and relationship, appears to go into reverse motion for about 40 days every 18 months or so. This year it goes retrograde from October 8 to Nov 19 in the signs Scorpio and Libra.

For all of us Venus retrograde is the ideal time to review what’s working and what’s not in our major relationships and to reassess whether they are truly fulfilling us. Here are some key questions to assist that review process:

Is there a balance between giving and receiving? Is there a fair exchange of time and energy? Are you getting what you need and deserve?

And perhaps the most fundamental question of all, what is love to me? Here are some of my favourite ‘answers’ to that perennially fascinating question.

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise

Love is letting go of fear

Love is not so much looking into each other’s eyes as looking in the same direction

Finally, it would be hard to disagree with these wise words from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke: “For one human being to love another is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.”

Astrology report from Crystal Castle resident reader and Astrologer Varij. Varij is a former tutor in Philosophy at Melbourne University and a writer for Wellbeing Astrology Magazine. A professional reader of over 25 years experience, he combines compassion and wisdom with a gifted intuition to deliver clear, positive and accurate guidance. Varij has been with the Crystal Castle for seven years and is available for readings on Tuesday's and Wednesday's.